Luís Figo, who publicly supported Gianni Infantino during his successful 2016 FIFA presidential campaign, has now called for the FIFA president to resign.
In a statement released on social media on August 5, Figo accused Infantino of deception and self-interest over the failed FIFA Forward Enterprise proposal and said he should leave office.
The reversal is significant because Figo once backed Infantino’s leadership. However, there is no solid evidence that the 2 men were close personal friends or that they are now engaged in a two-way public feud. Infantino has not publicly answered Figo’s criticism.
Figo reverses his position on Infantino
Luís Figo was one of the leading players of his generation. He won 4 Spanish league titles with Barcelona and Real Madrid, lifted the UEFA Champions League with Real Madrid in 2002, and won the Ballon d’Or in 2000.
Figo also helped Portugal win the 1991 FIFA U-20 World Cup, although he did not win a major senior international tournament during his playing career.
His criticism of Infantino is notable because Figo publicly supported the Swiss administrator during the 2016 FIFA presidential campaign. On August 5, 2026, he reversed that position by calling for Infantino to resign.
What sparked the backlash against Infantino
FIFA announced the FIFA Forward Enterprise proposal on July 28. The plan would have created a FIFA-owned commercial subsidiary covering commercial rights and event operations for competitions, including the World Cup.
FIFA proposed selling minority, non-controlling interests of up to roughly 20% in that subsidiary to outside investors while retaining control. The organization hoped to raise as much as $4.2 billion.
The rollout triggered intense criticism after CONCACAF and the Asian Football Confederation said they learned important details through media reports rather than consultation. FIFA abandoned the proposal on July 31 after widespread opposition.
What FIFA Forward Enterprise actually proposed
FIFA Forward Enterprise would have been a FIFA-owned and controlled subsidiary combining the organization’s commercial rights and event operations, including broadcast, sponsorship, licensing, ticketing, hospitality and FIFA competitions.
Under the proposal announced July 28, FIFA planned to raise up to $4.2 billion by offering minority, non-controlling interests to long-term investors based on an initial valuation of $20 billion.
FIFA said the money would increase development funding for its 211 member associations. Critics objected to the proposed private investment and, especially, to the limited consultation surrounding the plan. FIFA abandoned FFE after the backlash.
Figo calls directly for Infantino to resign
Luís Figo issued one of the strongest public attacks yet on Infantino’s leadership on August 5. The former Portugal captain called for the FIFA president to resign and accused him of degrading the office he had promised to improve.
Figo said Infantino had lied and deceived people and accused him of pursuing his own interests at football’s expense. He ended his statement with a direct demand: “He should go. Now.”
Fun fact: Figo helped Portugal win the 1991 FIFA U-20 World Cup, scoring in the penalty shootout as the hosts defeated Brazil in the final.
Senior FIFA figures distance themselves from the plan
Arsène Wenger, FIFA’s chief of global football development, said he had not been involved in the FIFA Forward Enterprise proposal and first learned about it through media reports.
Wenger said withdrawing the project was “absolutely necessary” and stressed his belief in an independent FIFA operating with transparency and integrity.
The criticism extended beyond Wenger. FIFA Secretary-General Mattias Grafström criticized the events surrounding the proposal, while several national associations withdrew support for Infantino’s 2027 re-election bid. Wales was followed by Serbia and Sweden as opposition intensified.
UEFA keeps the boycott and legal pressure alive
Wales became the first national association to formally withdraw support for Infantino’s 2027 re-election bid, with Serbia and Sweden following.
UEFA also escalated its response. The European governing body issued a document-preservation notice connected to potential proceedings, while reports from AP and ESPN said UEFA had warned of possible legal action over the failed FFE proposal.
UEFA’s 55 member associations had agreed not to participate in FIFA competitions unless key conditions were satisfied. As of August 7, the boycott threat remains in place even though FIFA abandoned FFE because UEFA says it has not received sufficient assurances that a similar proposal will not return.
FIFA apologizes as Infantino remains president
FIFA held a crisis meeting with senior officials in Morocco on August 5 as pressure intensified over the abandoned FIFA Forward Enterprise proposal.
After the meeting, FIFA said mistakes had been acknowledged and apologized to its Council and 211 member associations. The organization said the process should have been handled differently and promised to review its procedures.
Senior officials attending the meeting reaffirmed their support for Infantino, who remains FIFA president and intends to seek another term in 2027. External opposition continues, however, with Norway’s football federation now formally calling for his resignation.
Fun fact: Infantino was first elected FIFA president in 2016 after the Sepp Blatter era ended amid a major corruption and governance crisis.
What this means for football’s future
This clash is bigger than two famous soccer names simply trading insults online. It raises real questions about who should truly control the World Cup and how FIFA’s money truly gets spent going forward.
Fans everywhere want real transparency. Federations want a genuine say in major decisions. Figo’s public break with Infantino may encourage more insiders to finally speak honestly about problems long kept quiet within FIFA’s own walls.
Whatever happens next, this feud has already reshaped conversations about FIFA’s leadership across football. Football supporters worldwide are now watching very closely to see who truly controls the beautiful global game they love.
TL;DR
- Luis Figo publicly called for FIFA president Gianni Infantino to resign this week.
- The feud began after Infantino proposed selling private stakes in the World Cup.
- Figo called Infantino’s conduct deceitful and self-interested in a blistering public statement.
- Arsène Wenger and several national federations also distanced themselves from Infantino’s plan.
- UEFA reportedly considered legal action, and some nations discussed boycotting future tournaments.
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This article was made with AI assistance and human editing.
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